Can my landlord evict me in Sharjah?

Under Law 5/2024, landlords in Sharjah cannot evict residential tenants for the first 3 years of the tenancy (5 years for commercial), except on the limited grounds in the law such as non-payment, unauthorised subletting or illegal use. After this period, eviction requires valid grounds and proper notice.

Can my landlord increase rent in Sharjah?

No rent increase is allowed for the first 3 years of a lease in Sharjah. After the 3-year freeze, increases are only permitted once every 2 years and must reflect fair market value.

Is subletting allowed in Sharjah?

Only with the landlord's written consent and within the conditions of the executive regulations of Law 5/2024. Subletting without consent is a ground for eviction, even during the 3-year protection period.

Tenant Rights in Sharjah: Complete Guide to Law 5/2024

Sharjah introduced Law No. 5 of 2024 in September 2024, replacing the previous Law 2/2007. The new law provides some of the strongest tenant protections in the UAE.

3-Year Eviction Protection

This is the headline feature of Law 5/2024:

Residential tenants: Cannot be evicted for the first 3 years of the tenancy
Commercial tenants: Cannot be evicted for the first 5 years
The protection period starts from the date of the original lease
Even at renewal, the landlord cannot refuse to renew during this period

3-Year Rent Freeze

Paired with the eviction protection:

No rent increase is permitted for the first 3 years of a lease
After the freeze period, increases are allowed only once every 2 years
Post-freeze increases must reflect fair market value

Subletting: Written Consent Only

Sharjah allows subletting only with the landlord's written consent and within the conditions of the law's executive regulations. Subletting or assigning without consent is a ground for eviction, even inside the 3-year protection period.

Contract Registration

All tenancy contracts must be registered with Sharjah Municipality within 15 days of signing. This is stricter than Dubai and Abu Dhabi's registration requirements.

Non-Payment Grace Period

Sharjah has a 15-day grace period for unpaid rent (compared to 30 days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi). If rent is not paid within 15 days of the due date, the landlord can seek eviction.

Filing Disputes in Sharjah

Disputes are handled by the Sharjah Rental Dispute Committee (RDC):

File through Sharjah Municipality
Bring your registered contract, evidence, and identification
Send a formal notice first: use our notice generator

Key Differences from Dubai

Feature	Sharjah	Dubai
Eviction protection	3 years	Renewal protected; eviction at expiry only on Article 25(2) grounds with 12 months notice
Rent freeze	3 years	None (RERA tiers apply)
Subletting	With written consent (per executive regulations)	With written consent
Registration deadline	15 days	No strict deadline
Non-payment grace	15 days	30 days

Related Resources

Sharjah Rent Freeze Rules Explained
Tenant Rights in Dubai (comparison)
Subletting Rules Across the UAE
Ask Our AI Rights Assistant about Sharjah tenancy law